Wes Streeting has accused the British Medical Association (BMA) of being \u201cimpossible\u201d and issuing \u201cmisleading\u201d information in an escalation of tensions with the doctors union.<\/p>\n
In an unusual move, the health secretary wrote on Thursday to England\u2019s 50,000 GPs to convey his frustration with the BMA over recent changes that from last month made it easier for patients to contact them online<\/a> between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday.<\/p>\n He has underlined his concern about the union\u2019s behaviour by ending its longstanding role as the sole negotiator of the annual GP contract that covers doctors\u2019 pay and terms and conditions.<\/p>\n Streeting\u2019s letter was prompted by a recent speech by the head of the BMA\u2019s GP committee, Dr Katie Bramall, in which she accused ministers of being \u201ctraitors\u201d<\/a> to their profession and of betraying and lying to them.<\/p>\n In it, he referenced the speech that Bramall gave on 7 November to the annual conference of local medical committees \u2013 local groups of GPs<\/a> \u2013 in England. She \u201caccused the government of being \u2018traitors\u2019 to the profession and of \u2018disingenuousness\u2019, \u2018duplicity\u2019 and \u2018gaslighting\u2019,\u201d Streeting wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThis speech was not just deeply unprofessional and unbecoming of a professional representative body, it was misleading,\u201d he added. \u201cThe BMA agreed these contract changes [on online access to GPs] in February 2025 and any suggestions to the contrary are factually incorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that the BMA was not displaying \u201cmutual respect and professionalism\u201d in its dealings with the government. \u201cYour union representatives are currently making it impossible for me and my officials to engage in good faith in the way we would all want.\u201d<\/p>\n The relationship between Streeting and the BMA has become increasingly fractious, mainly over the long-running series of strikes<\/a> by resident \u2013 formerly junior \u2013 doctors over their pay and difficulties getting places to start training in their chosen medical specialty.<\/p>\n Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, picket outside St Thomas\u2019 hospital in London this month. Photograph: Vuk Valcic\/Zuma Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n The union\u2019s resident doctors committee (RDC) is weighing up whether to stage another strike \u2013 which would be their 14th since March 2023 \u2013 before Christmas, given their legal strike mandate expires on 6 January.<\/p>\n Streeting said the BMA agreed<\/a> to expand patients\u2019 digital access to GPs in the negotiations over this year\u2019s contract, which concluded in February. However, the union claims that he is guilty of \u201cbroken promises\u201d for not putting in place safeguards to stop already busy GP practices becoming \u201coverwhelmed\u201d as a result of patients submitting requests for help online.<\/p>\n Responding to Streeting\u2019s letter, Bramall said a recent BMA survey had found that 42% of more than 1,300 practices that responded have had to reduce the number of face-to-face appointments they offer because GPs are so busy dealing with online communications.<\/p>\n \u201cFewer appointments and practice meltdown isn\u2019t a win for patients or the profession,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n